Teddy's Tale
by Untiltheveryend7
Summary: Teddy Lupin is eleven years old.  When Harry arrives at Andromeda's house early on September 1st, he finally gets some of his questions answered.


_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. All rights go to JK Rowling/Warner Bros. I do not profit in any way.**_

**A/N: Hi guys :) I actually wrote this story for a friend of mine. She's going through a tough time at the moment, and I wanted to cheer her up! One of her favourite characters is Andromeda... so I hope I wasn't OOC! **

**Anyway, you know the drill; please tell me what you think. It means a lot. Thanks! **

**P.S. Those of you who are reading 'Enough Trouble for a Lifetime', sorry for the lack of update, I was writing this! It will be done soon, promise!**

_**Edit: This is now updated with better phrasing, less plot-holes and proper breaks in the text. The lack of formatting was bothering me!**_

_Teddy's Tale_

Teddy looked in the mirror at his eleven-year-old self.

He was dressed in the muggle clothes his that grandmother Andromeda had taken him to London to buy. He hadn't really understood her motives at the time – he had plenty of his own clothes that fitted him fine. But now he got it. He felt a lot more confident in these never-been-worn-before clothes; the blue t-shirt and dark jeans straight off the hanger. And he could use the confidence today, for it was September 1st.

The day he left for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Teddy dear," Andromeda called for him, "Teddy!" She said, as she walked into his room. It was a nicely decorated little place that really felt his own. The previous summer, his godfather Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione had started on the previously bleak grey room.

They had painted it a nice pale blue, with a cream carpet. There were transfers of dark blue dragons on the light walls. They were friendly looking dragons, Teddy thought. They would flap around the room during the daytime, sometimes winking at Teddy or producing a stream of flame for his entertainment. During the night, they slept soundly, only waking when he did. Throughout the year, Teddy had become rather fond of his dragons.

Teddy's room was the smallest in the three bedroomed house - Andromeda had the master bedroom, and the middle sized one was left bare.

The middle-sized bedroom had once been his mother's. Teddy didn't know much about her, but he knew she'd been a metamorphmagus too, she'd died when he was still a baby, and she'd loved him dearly. And his father, Remus Lupin. Teddy didn't know a lot about him either, only snippets that Harry and Andromeda had told him throughout the years. From what he could gather though, both of his parents had been strong, honourable people. He was proud to be their son.

All the same, he was sad that he had never gotten to meet them. From the only picture that he had, he could see his resemblance to them. Although he had the metamorphmagus gene from his mother, his natural hair was sandy, like his dad's. Most of the time he would keep it that natural shade in order to feel close to his late father.

"You look handsome, Teddy!" His grandmother said fondly, straightening his collar out and brushing some non-existent dust off his shoulder before kissing him on the forehead.

"Grandma!" Teddy said, a typical pre-teen, wiping the kiss off his forehead. He couldn't keep the smile off his face though. He loved Andromeda a lot.

She grinned at him proudly. Andromeda wasn't the typical gradmother. Her hair had not yet turned grey, but remained the same dark brown, falling in waves past her shoulders. There were laughter lines around her kind brown eyes. Sometimes a sad aura came about her that Teddy had come to know well; even as a very small child he knew that his grandmother was still desperately grieving, not only for his parents, but for her husband, the one whom after Teddy had been named. Sometimes when Teddy would do something that reminded Andromeda of the three ghosts in her life, she would give a smile. It was a complex smile, not happy, but not sad either. Teddy didn't quite understand to a full extent yet, but in time he would come to know that it was a mixture of pride that he was following in his family's footsteps, but regret that they were not here to see it.

"Come on, dear," Andromeda said, bringing Teddy out of his daze, "Harry's waiting downstairs!"

Teddy grinned. He loved Harry's visits, and he had hoped to see him before he left for Hogwarts in – he gulped – three hours. He hugged his grandmother round the waist quickly, making her chuckle, and then bounded down the stairs.

In the living room, Harry was sat in his favourite armchair by the fire, the orange flames reflecting in his familiar green eyes.

When he was younger, Teddy would sit on his lap to hear his godfather's stories of his own time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Apparently the armchair by the fire was his favourite in the Gryffindor Common Room as well.

Teddy could hardly believe he would be at the school tonight.

"Teddy!" Harry grinned, standing up and catching Teddy as he flew into his arms. He hugged him tightly.

"You're getting big, kiddo," Harry said, ruffling his hair as he put him down. "I won't be able to catch you much longer!"

Teddy grinned.

"Where's Ginny and the kids?" he asked, looking slightly disappointed. Teddy loved to play with the Potter and Weasley children, and they loved him back. Teddy was everyone's big brother. He had a soft spot for little Lily Potter especially, and would always defend her fiercely when her brothers picked on her; as they had a habit of doing. Lily didn't really need a defender though – she was a little fireball, just like her mother. But she loved Teddy for it. In fact, Lily had been known in the past to refer to him as her 'favourite brother'.

"They're at home," Harry replied, "but they're all coming to see you off at the station later!"

Teddy nodded - his stomach fluttering at the thought of catching the legendary Hogwarts Express, and sat down in the sofa opposite Harry. Andromeda came though from the kitchen, and passed Harry a cup of tea.

"Here you go, dear," she smiled at Harry.

"Thanks An," Harry said, accepting the tea and warming his hands round it as Teddy's grandmother sat down next to him.

Harry surveyed Teddy with serious eyes, and all of a sudden it occurred to Teddy that perhaps his godfather wasn't just here for a casual visit.

Harry and Andromeda exchanged a look. Andromeda nodded, and Harry shifted his eyes back to Teddy (who was extremely curious by this point), and took a deep breath.

"Teddy..." Harry started, "I... we... know that you're curious about your parents."

He had Teddy's full attention now.

"Well, we're going to answer your questions."

Teddy nodded expectantly, looking excited as Harry pulled something out from his robe pocket.

He handed it over silently. It was a wedge of photographs. The first was his father with three other boys he didn't recognise, they looked about seventeen, and were lounging around a large tree. One boy wore glasses, one had long hair and was preening in the photo, and one looked... rattish. That was the only way he could describe it. His father was sat at the trunk of the tree with a book in his hands. Teddy smiled as he squinted at the title – he loved reading too.

"Who are they?" He asked, pointing at the three unfamiliar boys.

Harry smiled. "This," he said, pointing to the boy with the scruffy dark hair and glasses, "Is my father."

Teddy grinned up at him; he had no idea that their fathers were friends.

"This was my godfather," he continued, pointing at the boy with the long wavy hair.

"And he... he was their friend," Harry said expressionlessly, looking at the smallest boy.

They continued looking through the photos, and every now and then, Teddy would ask questions about his parents: where they worked, what their favourite subject was, who their best friends were, did they like Quidditch? Between them, Harry and Andromeda could answer the all questions easily, they were relieved to find.

But steadily, Teddy's queries became more and more demanding.

"Why does Dad look so tired all the time?" Teddy asked, frowning whilst flicking through the pictures. He studied the purple shadows under his father's eyes, and the premature wrinkles he developed in his early twenties.

He looked round at his grandmother, who was suddenly very still. "What?" he asked, biting his lip in confusion.

Teddy looked at Harry, silently pleading for him to tell what was up with his grandmother. Harry's brows furrowed, and he bowed his head. Teddy was getting impatient.

Finally, Harry lifted his head to meet Teddy's curious gaze.

"Remus was a werewolf."

Werewolf. _Werewolf_. This was most definitely not what Teddy had expected. _**Werewolf**_. The term was foreign; werewolves were imaginary. They were an element in children's stories, something to dress up as on Halloween. Not real. Definitely not.

But yet the look on Harry's face told him otherwise. He was studying Teddy's reaction... nervously? Why was he nervous?

"He didn't hurt anyone, Teddy," Harry said cautiously, "He would have hated himself for the rest of his life if he had. He hated it. Absolutely hated it. He was bitten when he was a child – younger than you. He was never truly happy until he met your mother."

Teddy was getting used to the idea, if wizards and witches were real, why not werewolves! His father: Remus Lupin, a werewolf. Actually, it was kinda cool. None of the kids at school would pick on him now. Teddy grinned.

"One more question," Teddy said, looking at the clock above the fireplace; it was 10:20.

"Yes?" Andromeda smiled, obviously happy with his reaction.

Teddy bit his lip again, knowing this was going to upset them. He needed to know though.

"How did they die?"

Harry's face contorted with guilt, and Andromeda gave him a 'look'.

His grandmother spoke up this time, and even though her eyes had a suspicious sparkle to them, her voice was clear and unwavering.

"They died fighting," she said to him softly, "I've told you about the wars before... what your godfather here did..."

Harry promptly turned red.

"... the Death Eaters... Voldemort's followers, they killed them... They killed them." She repeated the last part mindlessly, staring into midspace, and Teddy knew that his grandmother wasn't only talking about his parents, but his granddad too. Tears were beginning to gather in Andromeda's eyes.

As he saw his grandmother cry for the loved ones she had lost, something changed inside Teddy. He had never seen her cry before; she was always so tough. It matured him beyond his years, knowing that adults hurt just like children do, and he began to cry too.

He crawled into her arms, the two of them sobbing for the ones they would never see again.

It was so unfair, thought Teddy bitterly. He couldn't even remember their voices. They had taken that from him. And no-one could understand that.

No-one... unless they had been in the same situation.

No-one that Teddy knew, except his godfather, Harry Potter.

He met Harry's eyes with his watery ones, and saw that Harry's eyes were unusually bright too.

Harry stood up, and Teddy put his arms round his waist, his tears staining the chest of his godfather's shirt.

"They'll always be with you," Harry said, kneeling down to his level, and trying not to cry, remembering his own godfather's words.

Harry spoke softly, and Teddy loosened his hold to look at him.

"After all, the ones who love us never really leave us."

* * *

><p>"Ready?" Harry asked Teddy, looking at the familiar orange bricked wall.<p>

"Uhh," Teddy said, eyeing the seemingly solid wall warily. He had already seen his grandmother walk through it to prove to him that he could make it to the other side, but the thought of striding towards a hard surface still made him nervous.

Harry grinned and took his trolley for him. "Come on!"

Teddy took a deep breath and held onto the trolley as they ran forwards. He closed his eyes as they got close to the wall, but he didn't feel the impact. Teddy opened his eyes slowly. He did it! He was through!

The whole of the Potter/Weasley clan was waiting for him, just as promised.

Little Lily Potter, not even three yet, toddled towards him.

"Teddy leaving?" She asked, frowning.

Teddy smiled down at her.

"Yes, Lily. But I'll be back at Christmas, promise!"

Lily considered.

"Okay then."

She raised her arms to be picked up, Teddy grinned at her, and obliged.

The rest of the goodbyes were over all too soon, and then Teddy was boarding the scarlet steam engine.

He waved to his family, holding back tears. He was going to miss them so much, especially his grandmother. He didn't like to think of her all alone in the empty house.

He knew that the family would look after her of course, but he still felt as if he was abandoning Andromeda as the train picked up speed and turned the corner. His family was no longer in view.

Teddy closed the window, and sat down in his empty compartment – bringing his knees up to his chest.

As he did so, he felt something bend in his pocket. That was odd, he hadn't put anything in there.

Curiously, Teddy stood up, and reached into his front jeans pocket.

It was the photos. They were paper clipped together, and there was a note attached, written in his godfather's familiar scrawl.

_Good luck, Teddy._

_Remember, they'll always be there, even if you can't see them._

_We love you. _

Teddy held the photos to his chest, feeling less lonely, but at the same time even more homesick. He closed his eyes, and imagined.

He could almost hear his parents' voices. Softly, they told him that they were proud, they loved him, and they would never leave him.

And Teddy believed them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Feedback is appreciated.**


End file.
